A Foreword

A Foreword by His Eminence,

Imām al-Sayyid ‘Abd al-A‘lā al-Sabzwāri, may his blessings last

In the Name of Allah the Merciful, the Compassionate,

Praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. Blessing and peace be on the noblest of His creatures Mohammed and his Household, the good, the pure. The pure Imāms, peace be on them, are the mediations of the Holiest Grace, the means of Divine mercy, and the testamentary trustees of Allah, may His name be exalted, on earth. Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, has endowed them with knowledge and cognition through which they set the foundations of the religion and pillars of Shari‘a. The gallant, affectionate, infallible Imām ‘Ali b. Mūsā al-Ridā, peace be on him, was unique in being able to affirm Divine knowledge through debating with the leading scientists of religions and followers of false beliefs. He established right and refuted wrong, and his holy words have become the axis of studies and foundation of perfection. A group of scholars-may Allah, the Exalted, reward them with the best reward-has undertaken the task of collecting, interpreting, and explaining these words. Among those whom Allah, the Most High, has singled out for this great dignity is, Shaykh of traditionalists, the Hujja, Shaykh Bāqir al-Qarashi, whom Allah, the Exalted, has endowed with His special favor and placed him among those who are guides to the righteous Imāms, peace be on them, and explain their words and their characters. May Allah, the Most High, appreciate his efforts and grant him success to exalt the word of the truth and to manifest the reality. Verily, He is All-hearing, and answers to prayers!

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